Letter: Bible once had prominent place in public education

Because of the horrific acts of murder that have occurred in our public schools and elsewhere in the US in the past few decades we would like to address an issue that is of concern to us.

Are the public schools, funded by the taxpayers, teaching the history of our country? Of particular interest to us are the reasons for the establishment of our first public schools.

We have discovered an interesting piece of legislation regarding the first public schools in the country, the Massachusetts School Laws of 1642, 1647 and 1648. Especially interesting is the 1647 Old Deluder Satan Law. This law was one of America's first educational acts. It required all towns of 50 or more households to provide an elementary school. Teachers were required to teach reading, writing and the Bible. They wanted the youth to be able to read the Bible so they could know God's rules for living, become productive citizens and "thwart" that old deluder, Satan.

Many people today do not believe in the existence of Satan. Why is the number one best seller in the US, the Holy Bible, banned from our public schools?

Also of interest is the New England Primer, introduced in Boston in 1690 by Benjamin Harris. It was the first textbook printed in America and used until 1900. It was used as the main text in both public and private schools and served America well for several hundred years!

We wonder what the result would be if our schools once again "indoctrinated" the youth of our nation with the values that were taught in the New England Primer. The Golden Rule, from the Bible, "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you," could also be taught again. The Word of God, the Holy Bible, has been ignored in our public schools and we are suffering the consequences!

Our educational establishment listened to John Dewey, the father of modern progressive education. He signed the Humanist Manifesto 1.

We are challenging our schools and teachers to have the courage to teach this history to the youth of our country.

La Mont and Audrey Kaland

Cedar Grove

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Letter: Bible once had prominent place in public education

Because of the horrific acts of murder that have occurred in our public schools and elsewhere in the US in the past few decades we would like to address an issue that is of concern to us.

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